Darlene Hooley: “we have an opportunity to help the 10-million-plus children in the United States who do not have health insurance.…”

“we have an opportunity to help the 10-million-plus children in the United States who do not have health insurance. Together we can help families help themselves by providing parents with a tax credit that will enable them to purchase health insurance for their children. When you really think about it, the current situation is unconscionable; 10 million uninsured children have to rely on emergency room treatment instead of their family doctor for treatment; 90 percent of these uninsured children have parents who work, but their employers do not provide health coverage for their children. Mr. Speaker, I think about the parents who lay awake each night wondering what they will do if their kids get sick. Caring for your children is perhaps the most basic human instinct and, as things stand now, millions of hard-working parents are having trouble providing health coverage for their children. We can help. Soon I will cosponsor a plan that requires insurance companies to provide kids-only health plans with tax credits to help families pay the premiums. I believe this is something Members from both sides of the aisle can agree on. It is not a new program. It is a program to help our children.”